The government is awaiting Apple’s approval for the inclusion of its ‘e-Kalathi’ platform’s app on the company’s iOS operating system, the consumer protection service’s competition branch head Aliki Iordanou said on Friday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, she said approval has been sought from both Apple and Google, with a view of having the app available on both the Apple App Store, thus downloadable onto iOS devices including iPhones, and on the Google Play Store, thus downloadable onto android devices.

Apple, she said, had “requested some modifications”, which are currently being implemented by the contractor assigned by the government to create the app.

On the matter of when the platform will formally be rolled out, she said the platform’s connection with supermarkets has “already been completed”, but that Apple’s approval is required before the platform enters public use.

The e-Kalathi platform was designed to inform consumers about the prices of essential goods and allow them to compare the prices thereof.

Its rollout has been delayed on a number of occasions, with earlier delays having been related to the system’s security.

When the platform is fully developed, it is expected that thousands of products will be listed on it, and that it will include all supermarkets with an annual turnover of €5 million.

Its aim is to allow consumers to compare prices of everyday products at different supermarkets and will comprise a mobile application and a website.